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't Nije Hemelriek swimming lake closed for now after fire

Swimming lake closed after the fire at restaurant 't Nije Hemelriek
Swimming lake closed after the fire at restaurant 't Nije Hemelriek Photo: Rolde.nl - 2024

The 't Nije Hemelriek swimming lake near Gasselte will stay closed for the time being. The fire at the restaurant next to it has polluted the water and the beach.

The water has been polluted by soot and is turning black. On Wednesday the top layer of the beach was dug away; it is being cleaned. The sand exposed underneath is clean. Even so, ranger Linde Veldhoen asks people to keep off the beach so that the clean-up team can work undisturbed. Visitors are being directed to the nearby 't Gasselterveld swimming lake, which is open and clean.

Staff from Staatsbosbeheer, the state forestry service, are clearing the charred remains of the restaurant and removing insulation material from the trees.

Lake may be pumped dry

One option is to pump the lake dry so it can be cleaned. That could be done with an existing pump between 't Nije Hemelriek and 't Gasselterveld, which on hot summer days pumps water from 't Gasselterveld to 't Nije Hemelriek. Whether pumping the lake dry can be done safely at this point, and what the consequences would be, has yet to be determined.

The water board took samples of the water and the soil on Wednesday 12 June to test their quality. The province has final responsibility and decides whether and when the lake is cleared for swimming again.

According to Hans Alting, spokesman for Staatsbosbeheer, the impact on nature around 't Nije Hemelriek is limited. How soon the swimming lake can reopen depends on the clean-up work and the results of the water and soil tests.

The swimming water turned black after the fire at restaurant 't Nije Hemelriek
The swimming water turned black after the fire at restaurant 't Nije Hemelriek Photo: Rolde.nl - 2024
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